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2008 Pre-Season Coverage

Posted by Chiefs Baseball at May 26, 2008 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )

Pre-Season Ends with 3-1 Loss to Americans
Medford, MA- The 2008 pre-season came to a conclusion on Monday evening when the Medford Americans dealt the Chiefs a 3-1 loss at Playstead Park.

Lefty Connor Bishop (Arlington, MA/Bridgewater St.) started for the Chiefs and worked a credible four innings, allowing just one run on four hits. He gave way to right-hander Jose Pimental (Bani, DR/San Diego) who surrendered two runs on three hits in two innings, including a mamouth solo home run off the bat of Americans rookie Ben Waltrip (Medford, MA/Medford) in the sixth.

The Chiefs only run of the night came on a sixth inning sacrifice fly from Andrew Hanson (Cumberland, ME/Princeton). Zack Bunzell (Medford, MA/American International) picked up the pre-season pitching win for Medford.

Southpaw Matt Boleski worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning for the Chiefs.

Medford, MA- Dylan Ellis threw six innings of four hit shutout ball and former Princeton star Andrew Hanson drilled a three run homer to lead the Chiefs to a 8-0 win over the visiting Lunenberg Phillies in the second game of a non-league doubleheader played at Tufts University's Huskins Field on Sunday.

Lunenberg took the first game 7-0.

The Chiefs jumped out to 2-0 first inning lead in game two. Brendan Pyburn led offf with a single. Angel Valdez flew to center for the first out and Mike Andre was hit by a pitch. Justin Crisafulli then singled to center scoring Pyburn. Paul Koslowski then doubled off the fence in rightcenter scoring Andre.

The Chiefs lead went to 4-0 in the fourth on consecutive singles from Nate Leva, Brenden Shepard, Matt Lawlor and Pyburn.

Four more runs put the game away in the fifth. Andre got things going with a line single to center. Crisafulli reached on an infield error to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Koslowski struck out swinging for the first out. Prior to Phil Costello drawing a walk Andre scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-0. Hanson then drilled a long homer to straight away right pushing the margin to 8-0.

Ellis threw just 74 pitches over the first six innings before giving way to Jose Pimentel who worked a scoreless 1-2-3 seventh with one strikeout. Ellis struck out six and did not walk a batter in his impressive outing.

In game one, the Phillies scored five times in the fourth inning to take the 7-0 win. Chiefs starter David Garcia threw three scoreless frames before the visitors got to him in the fourth on four singles, an error by shortstop Doug Heald and a walk. Joe Martini relieved Garcia after he was hit with a line drive in the knee. The brightest pitching spot for the Chiefs was righty Chris Foundas who struck out the side in order in the Phillies sixth.

Lunenberg hurlers limited the Chiefs to just four hits in the first game, singles from Andre, Valdez, Leva and Matt Boleski.

The Chiefs conclude their pre-season with a non league contest against the Medford Americans on Memorial Day (Monday) at Playstead Park begining at 5:30 PM. Lefty Connor Bishop is expected to draw the starting assignment.

 

Medford, MA- The Lunenberg Phillies of the Central Massachusetts League will travel to Medford on Sunday afternoon for a non-league doubleheader against the Chiefs. The first game at Huskins Field on the campus of Tufts University will get underway at 2:00 PM.

First year Southpaw David Garcia (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/ Colorado Rockies) will get the start in game one. Another lefty, Dylan Ellis (Gloucester, MA/ Merrimack College) will get the nod in the nightcap. Ellis was 2-3 for the Chiefs in 2007 with an ERA of 3.02 in nine starts.

The Chiefs will conclude the non-league portion of the schedule on Monday when they travel to Playstead Park to take on the Americans at 5:30 PM. The Chiefs Intercity League opener is on Tuesday when they will send righthander Keith Forbes (Newton, MA/San Diego Padres) to the mound against Woburn at Tufts University at 6:00 PM. Forbes was 3-1 last season for the Chiefs with a league leading 79 strikeouts in 44 innings. Forbes signed with the Sussex of the Cam-Am League following the 2007 season where he made two starts for the New Jersey based club.

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Greenville, South Carolina- Catcher Matt Cooney, who caught for the Chiefs last season and signed with the Boston Red Sox in early July, collected his first hit of the 2008 season drilling a double for the Single A Greenville Drive in a recent game against the Columbus Catfish.

The former Eastern Connecticut State star hit .313 for the Chiefs last summer before signing with the Sox. In 2007, Cooney appeared in 24 games for the Red Sox in both Fort Myers and Greenville.

 

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Forbes Back at Top of Pitching Rotation

Posted by Chiefs Baseball at May 13, 2008 5:00PM PDT ( 0 Comments )

Medford, MA- As the pre-season schedule gets into full swing this week, a sight that Chiefs fans will be pleased to see is the promise of a healthy Keith Forbes re-assuming his spot at the top of the pitching rotation.

The former San Diego Padres righty showed signs of brillance last season, his first back after two shoulder surgeries. Forbes was dominant while going 3-1 and posting an ERA of 1.75 despite some nagging shoulder issues. He threw the first Chiefs no hitter since 1995 when former Red Sox hurler Mike Carista accomplished the feat. Forbes was overpowereing in his no-no in Wakefield on June 13. He nearly duplicated that effort two weeks later when he took another no hitter into the last inning and settled for a one hit win over the Americans. Most impressive was Forbes 79 strikeouts in just 44 innings, a strikeout to innings pitched ratio not seen in the ICL in over a decade.

As a professional, Forbes climbed up the ladder in the Padres organization, eventually setting a record for the most minor league apperances in season with 74 in 2000. Forbes recorded almost a strikeout an inning, 209 in 214 innings, in his four year stint with the Padres.

At the conclusion of the 2007 Chiefs season Forbes, now 31, signed another professional contract making two starts for Sussex Skyhawks of the Can-Am League. 

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